The bitch is back, but so far 'The Hills'' audience is nowhere to be found.According to Media Life Magazine, the show's ratings have seen a steady decline over three episodes this season. The Sept. 29 premiere (2.4 million viewers) fell 30 percent from April; this week's episode (1.7 million) was down over 50 percent from 2007 in the 18-34 demo.
'The Hills' recently underwent a number of changes following the departure of its star, Lauren Conrad. 'Laguna Beach' frenemy Kristin Cavallari was brought in to fill her shoes, but already it appears that her feet may not be big enough for the job.
Will the show ever regain its momentum? It's possible. But based on its sinking ratings, it's going to need some help -- which is where we come in (yes, it's a "reality" show, but it's really scripted, right?)
Here now are four ways -- two serious, two not so much -- to boost 'The Hills'' ratings:
Bring Back Stephen
Does anybody actually buy that Kristin and Justin Bobby are a couple? Kristin herself has admitted to faking it for the cameras. So, why not bring back someone she actually likes? A dose of reality might be good for the show -- not to mention the teenage demos.
'City'/'Hills' Crossover
In search of a new magazine -- and city -- Olivia Palermo heads to Lauren's old stomping ground, Teen Vogue, where she continues to find herself completely useless and unmotivated. Meanwhile, Kristin's impromptu trip to New York turns ugly when she hooks up with Whitney's old flame, Jay.
More Lo
Lo is one of the last remaining ties to Lauren, and arguably the only sane person left on the show. We think this background player deserves another chance in the spotlight. Our pitch: another Lo/Frankie hookup.
Baby on Board
Heidi's wish finally comes true when she tricks Spencer into getting her pregnant. Nine months later, the couple welcomes a baby girl (named Lauren, in the ultimate mea culpa) and their own spin-off: 'Heidi & Spencer Plus 1.'
Sound off: How would you fix 'The Hills'?
Reader Comments (6)
Daniel Quintanilla at 12:57PM on Oct 24th 2009
Lauren, Audrina, and Whitney. That's how you fix THE HILLS. LC and Audrina room w/ each other again, with Whitney as the 3rd roommate. LC and Whitney work together again at Teen Vogue. Plus, get rid of Lo, Stephanie, Holly, and Speidi. Keep Brody and Frankie around, and bring in Sleazy-T. And say good-bye to Kristin, Jayde, and Stacie, The Bartender.
K.Carter at 4:09PM on Oct 23rd 2009
The show is boring because Kristen does nothing. Lauren was in school, working, designing a clothing line, writing a book, dating. She is a hard worker and Kristen didn't even finish college. BORING! Not a role model for today's young women the way Lauren was, plus Kristen plays games with me. Lauren was more genuine in every way!
tobey at 12:39PM on Oct 26th 2009
Kristin is boring, boring and dare I say, ugh boring to begin with and her stupid outbursts are not believable. There is no chemistry between her and Justin Bobby. Speidi is also boring as well as the (all of s sudden) drama between Brody & Jayde for the show. Without Lauren, this show is going to tank.
Alison at 2:39AM on Oct 27th 2009
Get rid of ALL the cast members and create an entirely new show, based around some fun lovable girl in LA who is trying to "make it." These people's lives are no longer believable, relatable, or fun to watch. At first they were struggling, working at real or real-seeming jobs, and dealing with life struggles. Now they'are trying to pretend they still work, when we all know they make thousands/millions off of deals we aren't allowed to see on the show. It would have been interesting to see the cameras follow Lauren as she tried to get her clothing line off the ground, wrote her book, promoted her book, etc. Even with the other characters, it would have been more interesting to see Audrina going to auditions, Speidi being obvious attention whores, Brody being...um...nevermind about that part. Basically, this doesn't feel like a show following real people in their real lives. That's what would make the show good again, if we actually felt like we were watching real situations and people. Remember the first two seasons? They were great!
Alison at 2:46AM on Oct 27th 2009
Here's another idea: the show should no longer follow one person or group of people exclusively for several seasons. Instead, it should follow them right up until they are about to jump the shark, maybe after two seasons. Basically, as soon as these people become famous, their lives are no longer relatable, because after that point, the show pretends they're not famous, but still regular normal people, and the audience knows that's a lie. So maybe "The Hills Part Two" should follow a struggling actor, then the next phase follow the daughter of a famous person trying to live a normal life outside of their parent's fame, then the one after that should follow a struggling comedian, and so on, so on. It would be interesting to watch these types of people, even if they are not successful at reaching their goals. That's why Whitney's so interesting this season, because she's far from perfect, but there is something entertaining about watching a real person live, make mistakes, succeed, fall, get back up, etc.
Lourdes at 2:38PM on Nov 5th 2009
I did love Kristin on LB and was excited when she joined the cast. But to be honest it seems like a parody of real life. I am still hoping it gets better but unless Kristin goes on some soul searching expedition or goes on a job interview it's just more of the same lame high school drama, nails, boys and hair. Remember the show is supposed to be about real life in L.A. Struggling actors, plastic surgery, Casting coaches. Bring it!